Utilita

carlaspital

I switched to Utilita for both Gas and Electricity following a suggestion from Moneysaving Expert last February. In he comparsions Utilita came out well as long as you took the 10% discount at the anniversary.

As you may be aware Utilita have now withdrawn from the Energy Market but before doing so advised that they were adding a £40.00 surcharge due to high prices, in December. They then proceeded to transfer our supply to EDF Energy. I called EDF who said I should not have to pay the surcharge.

I wrote to Utilita last week to advise them that when they submitted their final bill to me they should include the 10% discount on the supplies to date and also that they should not charge the surcharge as it was unfair.

I have received a letter back today stating that they will not honour the cashback as there has not been an anniversary in the contract and that therefore it is not payable and secondly that they will be applying the surcharge.

Is anyone else in this situation and if so what can we do about it?

I look forward to your comments

theplumber

Utilita customers must write to Utilita advising them that they wish to dispute the Surcharge amount. This should stop the money being taken and will stop debt follow up.

Energywatch have referred the matter to Ofgem. This will take some time and my not necessarily conclude in our favour.

Suggest direct debit cancelled to make sure surcharge not collected.

If the option of a surcharge was really in the contract, it ideally needs reviewing by a judge.

Weymouth_Man

carlaspital&#64 wrote: »

I switched to Utilita for both Gas and Electricity following a suggestion from Moneysaving Expert last February. In he comparsions Utilita came out well as long as you took the 10% discount at the anniversary.

As you may be aware Utilita have now withdrawn from the Energy Market but before doing so advised that they were adding a £40.00 surcharge due to high prices, in December. They then proceeded to transfer our supply to EDF Energy. I called EDF who said I should not have to pay the surcharge.

I wrote to Utilita last week to advise them that when they submitted their final bill to me they should include the 10% discount on the supplies to date and also that they should not charge the surcharge as it was unfair.

I have received a letter back today stating that they will not honour the cashback as there has not been an anniversary in the contract and that therefore it is not payable and secondly that they will be applying the surcharge.

Is anyone else in this situation and if so what can we do about it?

I look forward to your comments

Yes i'm in the same situation, very interested in any future developements.

4 weeks B4 they transfered me I ordered up 4 x energy saving lightbulb, part of their then points redempsion, 8 weeks later no bulbs nothing, not the best company to deal with ?

carlaspital

I have emailed Energy Watch tody with copies of all of the correspondence. I have already cancelled the Direct Debit and plan to deduct the surcharge and the Cashback Discount of 10% of the Years supply when I settle their final account.

We will see what happens!

Carl

Sardlife

Hi all,
I have just spoken to Utilita customer services and was told that my final statement would contain a 'surcharge dispute' notification and that I should fill it in and send it back to Utilita if I do not agree with them having robbed me of £40.00, as if??
Anyway, I was told that all customers that fill in the dispute will immediately get a refund, seeing is believing. The lady that I spoke to was very pleasant and seemed genuinly concerned, she said that Utilita was taking this action as a result of preasure applied from the regulative bodies.
So............fill in the form, if we dont get our money back hopefully the paperwork will cause them a headache!!!!!!

Weymouth_Man

:j

Sardlife wrote:

Hi all,
I have just spoken to Utilita customer services and was told that my final statement would contain a 'surcharge dispute' notification and that I should fill it in and send it back to Utilita if I do not agree with them having robbed me of £40.00, as if??
Anyway, I was told that all customers that fill in the dispute will immediately get a refund, seeing is believing. The lady that I spoke to was very pleasant and seemed genuinly concerned, she said that Utilita was taking this action as a result of preasure applied from the regulative bodies.
So............fill in the form, if we dont get our money back hopefully the paperwork will cause them a headache!!!!!!

Letter received to day from EDF Energy, they are telling me that at the time of transfer from Utilita to EDF Energy they were unaware that Utilita was intending to apply a final surcharge to our closing bill, and that Energywatch (The independent Electric & Gas consumer watchdog) believes Utilita’s approach to be “unlawful” :j

If you like me are concerned you can contact Utilita’s customer services on
0845 450 4357.

Or Energywatch for free help and advice on calling 08459 060708.

Sardlife

To contact Utilita without paying through the nose you can try '0800 310 1944' which is Utilita's meter reading line, and then ask them to transfer you to the customer services helpline. It worked for me.

The following may also be of use,

Utilita to EDF Energy: FAQ

Here is a set of FAQs which may help deal with any queries you may have about the transfer from Utilita to EDF Energy.

EDF Energy has recently purchased the energy customer base from Utilita and will transfer the customers to it's own billing database.

If you are a customer of Utilita, the following FAQ may be of help to you. If you cannot find the answer to your question, try calling EDF on 08459 060708

Will your power go off while you are being transferred from Utilita to EDF Energy?

No, this issue is about trading arrangements not the physical supply to your premises

Will you have to pay the same amount of money to EDF Energy as you did to Utilita?

EDF Energy will charge you on their rates, but have committed to apply the rates which are as close as possible to the ones that Utilita were charging you. Alternatively you can switch to another supplier

How do you do that?

If you wish to transfer to another supplier then you should contact the supplier of your choice and explain that you are a customer of Utilita and wish to transfer. You will be obligated to be supplied by EDF Energy for 28 days before you can transfer and this is standard industry practise when changing supplier.

How do I find out who is the cheapest or best supplier for me?

energywatch advises all consumers to shop around for the best deals. You should talk to your energy broker or contact companies direct for prices

When will I get a bill?

It may be some time before EDF Energy or your chosen supplier is able to bill you so you should budget for that and ensure that you are able to pay once a bill is received. What you MUST do now is to take a meter reading as this will be very important for your transfer to EDF Energy or to your chosen supplier. If you have more than one fuel or site supplied by Utilita then you must take a reading for all fuels on all sites.

Try copying the following link into your web browser for better information on potential suppliers:

http://www.energywatch.org.uk/help_and_advice/how_to_change_supplier/index.asp :money:

Power to the people!

andrewf9

Just recieved my final bill from utilita for supply up to 16th Jan.
They claim that no surcharge has yet been applied due to a dispute with the regulator.

There is a form to fill in to dispute the surcharge. But - there are several options. Anyone got a clue which is the best one to tick ?

I 've cancelled my direct debit already and will be sending the form back. Moneysavers - I need your help !

andrewf9

Utilita - Re read the letters they sent - they have already taken the £40 surcharge ! So sending back the dispute sheet merely registers your complaint and that you dispute the surcharge.


My account was actually in credit so they owe me £13 - I had hoped that I would owe them so that they would have to come after me for the surcharge.

I guess we are in the hands of the regulator.

Andrew

Weymouth_Man

andrewf9 wrote:

Just recieved my final bill from utilita for supply up to 16th Jan.
They claim that no surcharge has yet been applied due to a dispute with the regulator.

There is a form to fill in to dispute the surcharge. But - there are several options. Anyone got a clue which is the best one to tick ?

I 've cancelled my direct debit already and will be sending the form back. Moneysavers - I need your help !

I ticked all the box's apart from Energywatch being contacted

Did not go for a full house :beer:

newnhak

Energywatch website has this to say.

"energywatch has heard from former Utilita customers who have been told that the £40 surcharge will be removed directly from their bank accounts over the next few weeks. Carole Pitkeathley concluded: “Consumers should contact their banks and instruct them to take action to ensure that Utilita can not withdraw this surcharge. Consumers concerned about the company’s behaviour should contact energywatch and we will leave no stone unturned in our bid to achieve justice for these consumers.”"

I had already cancelled my direct debit and the Utilita letter seems to be saying to pay all and then reclaim by sending back the form. I wasn't sure what would happen if I refused payment. I am going to ring Energywatch tomorrow and see what they say about me just paying the money I owe. I am also annoyed about the annual refund which we will now not get. I only joined because of the refund - so as I am owed by them I think this is even more reason not to pay the surcharge.

Karen